Hydrangea plant named ‘Horcos’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hydrangea  plant named ‘Horcos’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; strong stems; and large mophead-type inflorescences with light red purple-colored sterile flowers with darker red purple-colored margins.

Botanical designation: Hydrangea macrophylla.

Cultivar denomination: ‘HORCOS’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea plant, botanically known as Hydrangea macrophylla and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Horcos’.

The new Hydrangea plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new container-type Hydrangea plants with strong stems and attractive leaf, stem and flower coloration.

The new Hydrangea plant originated from a cross-pollination in 2004 of Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Selma’, not patented, as the female, or seed parent and a proprietary selection of Hydrangea macrophylla identified as code number 41-99/1, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Hydrangea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor in May, 2006 as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Dresden, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by softwood cuttings in Dresden, Germany since June, 2006 has shown that the unique features of this new Hydrangea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Hydrangea have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Horcos’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Horcos’ as a new and distinct Hydrangea plant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Strong stems.     -   4. Large mophead-type inflorescences with light red         purple-colored sterile flowers with darker red purple-colored         margins.

Plants of the new Hydrangea differ primarily from plants of the female parent, ‘Selma’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hydrangea have stronger stems than plants         of ‘Selma’.     -   2. Plants of the new Hydrangea have larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Selma’.

Plants of the new Hydrangea differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hydrangea are more vigorous than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Hydrangea have larger inflorescences than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Hydrangea and the male parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection         have red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Hydrangea can be compared to plants of Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Hbachi’, not patented. Plants of the new Hydrangea differ primarily from plants of ‘Hbachi’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Hydrangea are darker green in         color than leaves of plants of ‘Hbachi’.     -   2. Plants of the new Hydrangea have larger sterile flowers than         plants of ‘Hbachi’.     -   3. Plants of the new Hydrangea and ‘Hbachi’ differ slightly in         flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the unique appearance of the new Hydrangea plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Hydrangea plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Horcos’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Horcos’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and in the following description were grown in 13-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Dresden, Germany and under cultural conditions typical of commercial Hydrangea production conditions. Plants of the new Hydrangea were two years old when the photographs and description were taken. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 25° C. and night temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 17° C. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical description: Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Horcos’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Selma’, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Hydrangea             macrophylla identified as code number 41-99/1, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—By softwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 14 days at             temperatures about 18° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 16 days at             temperatures about 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 28 days             at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 30 days             at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; white to             grey in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Perennial subshrub; upright and             mounded plant habit; broadly inverted triangle; freely             branching habit with about six lateral branches developing             per plant; strong lateral branches; moderately vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 28.2 cm.         -   Plant diameter or area of spread.—About 40.6 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 17.8 cm. Diameter: About             5 mm. Internode length: About 3.2 cm. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 45° from vertical.             Color, developing: Close to 143C; at the nodes, slightly             tinged with close to N186C. Color, developed: Close to             between 199A and N199B. Lenticels: Density: Moderate.             Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 0.75 mm. Color: Close to             N186C. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 12 cm.         -   Width.—About 7.8 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptic-oblong to obovate to a ovate.         -   Apex.—Apiculate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Glabrous; rugose.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Glabrous; slightly rugose.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to N137D;             towards the margins, strongly tinged with close to 200A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Darker than between N137A             and 147A; venation, close to 144A. Fully expanded leaves,             lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 144A to             144B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A. -   Inflorescence & flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single sterile and inconspicuous             fertile flowers arranged on terminal mophead-type panicles;             panicles flattened globular in overall shape; fertile             flowers face mostly upright and sterile flowers face upright             to outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant, pleasant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous flowering from late             spring to late summer in The Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity, fertile flowers.—Flowers last about one             week on the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Flower longevity, sterile flowers.—Flowers last about six             weeks on the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering; about 65 fertile             flowers and about 125 sterile flowers per panicle.         -   Panicle height.—About 12.4 cm.         -   Panicle diameter.—About 16.7 cm.         -   Flower diameter, fertile flowers.—About 9 mm.         -   Flower depth (height), fertile flowers.—About 5 mm.         -   Flower diameter, sterile flowers.—About 5.1 cm.         -   Flower depth (height), sterile flowers.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Flower buds, fertile flowers.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter:             About 4 mm. Shape: Globular. Color: Close to 144D.         -   Flower buds, sterile flowers.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter:             About 8 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 140D; margins,             close to 58B.         -   Petals, fertile flowers only.—Quantity and arrangement: Five             in a single whorl. Length: About 3 mm. Width: About 1.75 mm.             Shape: Ovate, concave. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close             to 75B. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close             to 75C.         -   Sepals, fertile flowers.—Quantity and arrangement: Five in a             single whorl. Length: About 1.5 mm. Width: About 1 mm.             Shape: Deltoid. Apex: Acute. Base: Broadly cuneate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144B.         -   Sepals, sterile flowers.—Quantity and arrangement: Four,             occasionally five, in a single whorl. Length: About 2.6 cm.             Width: About 3.2 cm. Shape: Broadly rhomboidal to reniform.             Apex: Broadly and bluntly acute. Base: Broadly cuneate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces:             Center, close to 150D; towards the margins, close to 53D and             58B. Fully opened, upper surface: Center, close to 62C and             73C; towards the margins, close to 59D; with development,             center color becomes closer to 65A to 65C and towards the             margins, close to 61C to 61D. Fully opened, lower surface:             Center, close to 73C to 73D; towards the margins, close to             60D; with development, center color becomes closer to 62B             and 63B and towards the margins, close to 63B.         -   Pedicels, fertile flowers.—Angle: About 20° from vertical.             Strength: Moderately strong. Length: About 4 mm. Diameter:             About 1 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 63C.         -   Pedicels, sterile flowers.—Angle: About 40° from lateral             branch. Strength: Strong. Length: About 2.3 cm. Diameter:             About 1.5 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 68D             and marbled with close to 63B.         -   Reproductive organs, fertile flowers only.—Stamens: Quantity             per flower: About eight. Filament length: About 4.5 mm.             Filament color: Close to NN155D. Anther length: About             0.5 mm. Anther shape: Broadly reniform. Anther color: Close             to 157A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Lighter than             156D. Pistils: Pistil quantity per flower: About three.             Pistil length: About 1.5 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped.             Stigma color: Close to NN155A. Style length: About 1 mm.             Style color: Close to NN155D. Ovary color: Close to 157D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Hydrangea to date. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Hydrangea have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Hydrangea     plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Hydrangea have been shown     to be tolerant to temperatures in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Hydrangea plant named ‘Horcos’ as illustrated and described. 